1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to adsorbing device, adsorber, mounting device for a conductive member, adsorbing method and mounting method for a conductive member, semiconductor device and method of making the same.
2. Description of Related Art
In an process of assembling a semiconductor device to which BGA (Ball Grid Array), CSP (Chip Scale/Size Package) or the like is applied, a solder ball is mounted on the semiconductor device at an electrode forming location as a conductive member.
FIG. 23 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the structure of a solder-ball mounting device according to the prior art. The solder-ball mounting device comprises a vacuum chuck stage 10 for causing a mount head 50 to adsorb solder balls 54 (see FIG. 24), a missing-ball detection lamp 20 and double-ball detection laser receiving and emitting units 30, which are used to check whether or not the solder balls 54 have properly been adsorbed by the mount head 50, a ball ejecting stage 40 for ejecting any solder ball 54 when it has not properly been adsorbed by the mount head 50, and a mount stage 60 for mounting solder balls 54 adsorbed by the mount head 50 on a substrate at electrode forming locations.
In such a solder-ball mounting device, the solder balls 54 have been contained within a container on the vacuum chuck stage 10. The mount head 50 is then inserted into this container. When the solder balls 54 are blown up from the container, the mount head 50 adsorbs the solder balls through the adsorption holes thereof.
More particularly, the mount head 50 has such a structure as shown in FIGS. 24 and 25. The mount head includes a main body 51 having an adsorption member 53 that is mounted on the bottom thereof. This adsorption member 53 includes a plurality of adsorption holes 70 formed therethrough. Each of the adsorption holes 70 is designed to adsorb one solder ball 54.
The main mount head body 51 also includes a tube 52 connected to the top thereof. The tube 52 is then connected to a vacuum source (not shown). When the solder balls 54 are blown up from the container and reach near the adsorption member 53 on the mount head 50, they will be attracted to and adsorbed by the adsorption holes 70 under the action of vacuum.
Subsequently, it is checked whether or not the solder balls 54 are properly adsorbed by the mount head 50. There are two wrong manners in which the solder balls 54 are improperly adsorbed by the mount head 50. In one wrong manner, a plurality of solder balls 54 is adsorbed by a single adsorption hole 71, as shown in FIG. 24. This will be referred to xe2x80x9cdouble-ball statexe2x80x9d. In the other wrong manner, there is an adsorption hole 72 having no adsorbed solder ball 54, as shown in FIG. 25. In other words, the adsorption member 54 does not have a predetermined number of adsorbed solder balls 54. This will be referred to xe2x80x9cmissing statexe2x80x9d.
FIG. 26 shows the relationship between the height of the mount head 50 (or the distance between the mount head 50 and the container) and the number of errors (or the number of re-adsorptions for solder balls improperly adsorbed by the adsorption holes). As shown in FIG. 26, the double-ball and missing states are contrary to each other. Considering both the double-ball state (D) and missing state (M), therefore, only a very narrow single-hatched range X can be utilized to reduce the number of errors (or production margin).
When the mount head 50 has moved to the position in which the missing-ball detection lamp 20 and double-ball detection laser receiving and emitting units 30 are located through any not-shown moving means, the mount head 50 may be irradiated by the missing-ball detection lamp 20 to detect any missing state. Any double-ball state in the mount head may be detected by the double-ball detection laser receiving and emitting units 30.
More particularly, a camera or the like may be used to monitor the solder balls 54 irradiated by the missing-ball detection lamp 20 for detecting the missing state. The double-ball detection laser is also emitted slightly below one solder ball 54 and received by the light-receiving unit. If there is a double-ball state, the lower solder ball 54 will block the laser beam. This permits the double-ball state to be detected.
If a double-ball state is detected, all the solder balls 54 are removed from the adsorption member on the mount head 50 by breaking the vacuum at the ball ejecting stage 40. Thereafter, the solder balls 54 will again be adsorbed by the adsorption member at the adsorption stage 10. Thus, it is established that a solder ball 54 is adsorbed by each of all the adsorption holes 70 in the adsorption member 53.
While maintaining such a situation, the mount head 50 is moved to the mounting stage 60 wherein the solder balls 54 are mounted on the substrate at electrode forming locations for electrical components.
In the above-mentioned process of mounting the solder balls, however, all the solder ball 54 already mounted must be removed to perform the re-adsorption when the double-ball state occurs. This raises a problem in productivity.
In order to overcome this problem, an object of the present invention is to provide an adsorbing device, adsorber, mounting device for a conductive member, adsorbing method and mounting method for a conductive member, semiconductor device and method of making the same which can effectively adsorb conductive members.
(1) A conductive-member adsorbing device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises: an adsorber having a plurality of adsorption portions for adsorbing a plurality of conductive members, each of the adsorption portions creating an adsorption force that exceeds a force required to adsorb at least one of the conductive members being a predetermined number to be adsorbed by each of the adsorption portions; and a force supply unit for applying a force capable of maintaining an adsorbed state of the at least one conductive member being the predetermined number to be adsorbed by each of the adsorption portions, and capable of releasing at least one of the conductive members when a number of the conductive members adsorbed by one of the adsorption portions exceeds the predetermined number.
According to this aspect of the present invention, each of the adsorption portions can create an adsorption force exceeding a force adsorbing the at least one conductive member being the predetermined number. Thus, the at least one conductive member being the predetermined number can be adsorbed with a margin. Even if a number of the conductive members adsorbed by one of the adsorption portions exceeds, the force-supply unit can release at least one of these adsorbed conductive members. The force applied by the force supply unit maintains the at least one conductive member being the predetermined number adsorbed by one of the adsorption portions. Excessive conductive members adsorbed by the one adsorption portion can be removed while maintaining one conductive members adsorbed by the one adsorption portion. Therefore, it is not necessary to remove all the adsorbed conductive members from the adsorption member if the conductive members have improperly been adsorbed by the adsorption member. This provides an efficient adsorption.
(2) In the conductive-member adsorbing device, one of the conductive members may be predetermined to be adsorbed by each of the adsorption portions. Thus, one conductive member can only be adsorbed by one adsorption portion.
(3) In the conductive-member adsorbing device, a first adsorption direction in which the at least one conductive member being the predetermined number is adsorbed by one of the adsorption portions may be different from a second adsorption direction in which a number of the conductive members adsorbed by one of the adsorption portions exceeds the predetermined number; and the force supply unit applies the force in the substantially same direction as the first adsorption direction so that at least one of the conductive members may be removed by applying a force to the conductive members adsorbed by one of the adsorption portions exceeding the predetermined number in a direction different from the second adsorption direction.
A direction in which one conductive members is to be adsorbed (first adsorption direction) is different from a direction in which a number of the conductive members adsorbed by one of the adsorption portions exceeds the predetermined number (second adsorption direction). Thus, the force supply unit will apply a force to the adsorbed conductive members of which number exceeds the predetermined number, in a direction different from the second adsorption direction by applying a force in the first adsorption direction. As a result, at least one of the conductive members can be removed from the adsorption portion.
(4) In the conductive-member adsorbing device, the force supply unit may apply the force by blowing a gas against the conductive members adsorbed by the adsorption portion.
Thus, the force applied to the conductive members may not be a mechanically contacting force.
(5) In the conductive-member adsorbing device, the force supply unit may blow the gas instantaneously.
Thus, the blast of gas can provide an impulse of force. This can accomplish the same advantage without need of an increased force.
(6) In the conductive-member adsorbing device, the force supply unit may apply the force by contacting the conductive members adsorbed by the adsorption portion.
(7) In the conductive-member adsorbing device, the force supply unit may contact the conductive members without charging any static electricity.
Thus, it can be avoided that the conductive members are attracted to the force supply unit under the action of static electricity.
(8) In the conductive-member adsorbing device, the force supply unit may only contact a portion of each of the conductive members opposite to a portion adsorbed by each of the adsorption portions.
(9) According to a second aspect of the present invention, a conductive-member adsorber comprises a receiver having an inlet port for gas, the receiver being configured to receive at least one conductive member being a predetermined number to be received by the receiver, and the adsorber includes an uneven portion for providing a flow path of the gas to the inlet port, the uneven portion being formed outside the receiver.
According to the present invention, each of the conductive members can be adsorbed by the receiver when the interior of the gas inlet port is in vacuum. Since the uneven portion is formed around the receiver, the flow path of gas can be ensured below the conductive members even though a certain number of conductive members are attracted to the outside of the receiver. This makes the adsorption of conductive members difficult under leakage of the gas. Therefore, any conductive member will not be adsorbed outside of a receiver although any conductive member can be adsorbed within the receiver. Since in such a manner, a number of conductive members adsorbed by one receiver will not exceed the predetermined number, it is not required that all the adsorbed conductive members are removed or released as in the prior art. This makes the adsorption effective.
(10) In this adsorber, the receiver may be configured to contact the at least one conductive member so that the at least one conductive member covers the inlet port.
This provides an effective adsorption of conductive members.
(11) In this adsorber, the uneven portion may be formed by a groove leading to the receiver.
(12) In this adsorber, the groove may have a bottom larger than an opening thereof.
Thus, the leakage of gas can be increased.
(13) In this adsorber, the uneven portion may be formed by a projection.
(14) In the adsorber, the uneven portion may be formed by a roughened surface in which the receiver is formed.
(15) A third aspect of the present invention provides a conductive-member mounting device comprising the above-described conductive-member adsorbing device, and the adsorber may have a function of mounting the conductive members on an object.
According to this aspect of the present invention, the conductive members can be mounted on the object while the adsorber is adsorbing the conductive members.
(16) A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a conductive-member mounting device comprising the above-described conductive-member adsorber, and the adsorber may have a function of mounting the conductive members on an object.
(17) A fifth aspect of the present invention provides a conductive-member adsorbing method, comprising a step of adsorbing a plurality of conductive members by a plurality of adsorption portions and applying a force to the adsorbed conductive members to remove at least one of the conductive members which exceeds a predetermined number to be adsorbed by each of the adsorption portions, and the force is capable of maintaining an adsorbed state of the at least one conductive member being the predetermined number to be adsorbed by each of the adsorption portions, and capable of releasing at least one of the conductive members when a number of the conductive members adsorbed by one of the adsorption portions exceeds the predetermined number; and each of the adsorption portions adsorbs at least one of the conductive members without exceeding the predetermined number.
According to this aspect of the present invention, at least one of the conductive members can be released by applying the force even if a number of the conductive members adsorbed by one of the adsorption portions exceeds the predetermined number. When one conductive member is being adsorbed by one of the adsorption portions, such a state can be maintained. Thus, excessive conductive members adsorbed by one adsorption portion can be removed while maintaining one conductive member adsorbed by another adsorption portion. Therefore, it is not required that all the adsorbed conductive members are removed. This enables an effective adsorption.
(18) In this adsorption method, after the step of removing the at least one exceeded conductive member, the step of adsorbing a plurality of conductive members by a plurality of adsorption portions may be repeated when a number of the adsorbed conductive members by each of the adsorption portions is smaller than the predetermined number.
Thus, the proper number of conductive members can be adsorbed.
(19) A conductive-member adsorbing method as a sixth aspect of the present invention comprises a step of adsorbing at least one conductive member by a receiver having an inlet port for gas, the receiver being formed to receive the conductive member that is a predetermined number to be received by the receiver, and an uneven portion is formed around outside the receiver; the conductive member disposed within the receiver prevents the gas from leaking into the inlet port to create a negative pressure within the inlet port, thus adsorbing the disposed conductive member; and the gas is leaked to an under portion of the conductive member through the uneven portion, outside the receiver, to prevent the conductive member from being adsorbed.
According to this aspect of the present invention, each of the conductive members can be adsorbed at the receiver under the action of vacuum within the inlet port. Since the uneven portion is formed outside of the receiver, the flow path of gas can be formed below the conductive members even if a certain number of conductive members are gathered to the outside of the receiver. Thus, the gas can leak to make the adsorption of conductive member difficult. As a result, any conductive member will not be adsorbed outside of the receiver although the conductive member within that receiver can properly be adsorbed. In other words, excessive conductive members will not be adsorbed. It is thus not required that all the conductive members adsorbed are released. This provides an effective adsorption.
(20) A seventh aspect of the present invention provides a conductive-member mounting method, comprising a step of adsorbing the conductive members according to the above-described method and mounting the adsorbed conductive members on an object.
According to this aspect of the present invention, the conductive member can be mounted on the object while adsorbing it.
(21) An eighth aspect of the present invention provides a conductive-member mounting method, comprising a step of adsorbing the conductive members according to the above-described method and mounting the adsorbed conductive members on an object.
According to this aspect of the present invention, the conductive members can be mounted on the object while adsorbing them.
(22) A ninth aspect of the present invention provides a method of making a semiconductor device, comprising a step of adsorbing the conductive members according to the above-described method and mounting the adsorbed conductive members on a component.
According to this aspect of the present invention, the semiconductor device can be made by mounting the conductive member on the component while adsorbing it.
(23) A tenth aspect of the present invention provides a method of making a semiconductor device, comprising a step of adsorbing the conductive members according to the above-described method and mounting the adsorbed conductive members on a component.
According to this aspect the present invention, the semiconductor device can be made by mounting the conductive members on the component while adsorbing them.
(24) A eleventh aspect of the present invention provides a semiconductor device manufactured according to the above-described method.